Healthcare has changed forever.
The reason for this, unsurprisingly, is COVID-19 – which has sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry, causing giant changes to daily operations. Since the first quarter of 2020, physicians have been unable to provide care to the standard they’ve set over previous decades; appointments have been less available, certain screenings and treatments have been restricted, and even opening and closing times have changed for some.
It’s been awful, right? Thankfully, most healthcare practices have managed to fight on and keep looking after their patients. However, some healthcare practices have experienced devastating consequences, such as staff lay-offs and reduced patient numbers.
The good news though, is that more and more people are taking up the opportunity to get vaccinated, and as more get protected it suggests that life is heading back to some for of normality. As the world rebuilds, a lot of healthcare professionals are now looking at themselves and asking: How can we deliver amazing service when COVID-19 is gone? After all, patient care as we know it has changed, and some of these changes are likely to remain permanent.
So, here is some advice for your healthcare practice to follow post-COVID-19.
Get outside support and assistance
Modern healthcare practices know that doing everything alone is difficult. Therefore, many practices are now working together with outside healthcare technology companies, like ChartSpan, to improve patient care and make daily operations easier. For example, by enabling chronic care patients the ability to access a nurse via phone call 24/7.
Keep medical equipment up-to-date
The healthcare industry is constantly evolving with new technologies and equipment. Therefore, it should be an aim of your practice to get new equipment and upgrades so that you can stay competitive and keep providing the best possible care.
Naturally, equipment varies in price. For example, examination couches are cheap in comparison to cancer screening tools. Naturally, therefore, it’s all relative to your budget – but you always keep in mind that, even though the equipment is costly, it ultimately benefits you and your patients.
It’s recommended that your doctors follow the latest technological trends, which will keep you knowledgeable about which equipment is worth investing in and which isn’t.
Ensure your work environment is positive
Your healthcare practice likely has a significant number of employees, from doctors and nurses to receptionists.
It’s important that, throughout your entire practice, the working environment is positive – every employee needs to be in tune with one another. In addition, the environment should be based on happiness, friendliness, and (most importantly) professionalism. When these factors are achieved, it creates a positive environment that naturally crosses over into the service that patients receive, from the front desk to the doctor’s examination office.
Also, don’t be afraid to share photos and videos from your clinic on social media that highlight your positive working environment. It helps add warmth to your branding and makes sure you don’t appear overly corporate.
Encourage reviews
In healthcare, reviews are gold. They let you know what your practice is doing right as well as what you’re doing wrong. For example, reviews might shed light on aspects you need to change, like patients feeling as though their appointments are rushed; or that they would prefer the option for digital appointments instead.
From reviews, your practice can make efficient, long-term improvements that will help to raise patient satisfaction levels.
